Generative AI (GAI) has been used to assist in legal practice and is positioned to make positive contributions to the work of legal ops professionals in the business side of the profession. Legal operations professionals should expect to see GAI used to save time, create efficiencies, and simplify administrative work. Like previous AI applications, it can remove some of the less interesting aspects of legal ops work, allowing people to focus on the more creative aspects of their jobs.
When used well, GAI can supercharge humans, summarizing and contextualizing large amounts of data quickly. However, it cannot replace people wholesale. Some work is still expected to be best executed by people.
A Wolters Kluwer survey with Above the Law found:
- More than 80% of respondents agree that generative AI will create “transformative efficiencies” within legal research and other routine tasks.
- 62% believe it will separate successful from unsuccessful law firms within the next five years.
- Only 31% agree that generative AI will transform high-level legal work in job categories such as law firm partner or of counsel.
Humans will still be needed to review, guide, and shape the output, however, so it does not represent a replacement for people.
Those who leverage the technology well will be able to expedite their work and focus their time and attention on the most value-added tasks for their organizations. In short, learning to effectively use GAI will help legal professionals become even more successful.
Source: Wolters Kluwer
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